Day 81/At Sea, Heading Toward The Seychelles

Greetings from Pirate Country!


This photo was taken from the promenade deck of The Amsterdam. The white loops below the railing are razor wire. The orange nozzle in the upper right hand corner? That is part of a water cannon assembly. We also have acoustic devices that can be aimed at unwelcome prospective visitors.

Lecturer Joe Daley gave an interesting talk this morning about modern day pirates. He is an entertaining storyteller. He told about some pirates who telephoned a German company to complain about the "citadel rooms" that the company manufactures for ships. These rooms cannot be broken into. They provide a safe area where crews can keep control of their ship and send out calls for assistance. The complaint: how is a hard-working pirate supposed to earn a living, with precautions like this in place?
Mr. Daley has a blog. The address is
cruisingwithjoe.blogspot.com
I intend to have a look at it. Maybe you would like to see it too.

We are excited to be getting close to the coast of Africa, with or without pirates. Tonight we will celebrate Watson's birthday. Tomorrow we be onshore in the Seychelles. Brace yourself for lots of pictures!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Overdressed and Naked Elephants in Colombo, plus Cricket Madness

Day78/Colombo, Sri Lanka


Here's what I saw when I stepped off The Amsterdam on the way to our tour bus. A handsome, 40-year-old elephant named Monika! Never mind that the temperature was in the 90's and very humid. She was decked out in what looked like an elaborate, elephant-sized version of long winter underwear. I think this garment actually served as a gigantic wearable parasol, as well as providing a nice photo op for the tourists.

Our first tour stop was at a Buddhist temple. There, we found a sweet baby elephant, looking quite comfortable in the shade, wearing nothing but his birthday suit.


He and Watson became instant friends. Wish we could bring him home with us.



The temple itself was amazing.


The worshipers were patient with tourists swarming everywhere, but they must have felt relieved when we climbed back onto the buses to hurry to the next attraction.

We visited a museum, and we were on our way to another location when an unplanned feature overtook us. A college Cricket match was under way. Suddenly, we found ourselves in the middle of a parade of celebrating fans.


They were piled onto every sort of vehicle, including a cement mixer


And a gigantic backhoe. Their enthusiasm came close to what can be seen at a Cal-Stanford or Vikings-Packers game. Our guide was full of apologies as the driver tried to maneuver our bus through the massive traffic jam, but we assured him that we were enjoying every minute of the chaos.

Now, we have gone around Sri Lanka, the teardrop shaped island at the tip of India. Next stop: Africa


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Passing Through Phuket

Day 74/Phuket, Thailand



We have left Singapore and Malaysia in our wake. We sailed through the Malacca Strait, the most heavily trafficked waterway in the world, an area that is famous for its ongoing pirate activities.
Now, just outside The Amsterdam, we can see the outskirts of the resort town of Phuket shimmering in the heat.

We visited Phuket on last year's cruise, so we didn't sign up for a tour this time. Watson braved the 94 degree heat and humidity for a stroll into town. I retreated to our air-conditioned ship where I sat in comfort reading and catching up on this blog.

Merchants from town have set up shops on the pier right outside our ship. Most of them arrive on motorbikes. Their merchandise and display racks travel behind the motorbikes in big metal baskets with wheels. Their wares are mostly clothing and small gift items. Watson bought a much-needed belt. I managed to resist temptation and just admired all the pretty things. After all, will I really need a pair of pants decorated with elephants, when we get back home to Minnesota?



....paintings photographed at the Crafts Complex in Langkawi
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Fabric Overload

Day 74/Langkawi, Malaysia


We were impressed with Langkawi. Lots of civic pride here. Friendly, polite people. An organized effort to promote tourism for their region. We were taken to a crafts complex, a series of buildings where we saw samples of local products and demonstrations of how they are made. They specialize in fabrics decorated by the batik process. I couldn't stop taking pictures.








We also stopped at Underwater World, which features birds as well as underwater life. More photo opportunities. After some fumbling, I actually found the aquarium setting on my camera!






A delightful day. We think Langkawi will have a bright future as a tourist destination.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Animals And Architecture

Day 72/Singapore


Singapore: clean, safe. Hot and steamy. Home of spectacular architecture. After arrival, we spent some time looking around the huge malls adjacent to the ship terminal. Then, back to the ship for a quick snack, and onto a bus which would be our transportation to a memorable evening. Our destination wasThe Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo. We rode along paved trails on an open-air tram, in almost total darkness. Low lighting illuminated the animals. They appeared to be roaming free, but were actually enclosed by moats or hidden electric fences. Flash photography was not allowed. The tram was moving and so were the animals, therefore, no pictures. If you want to Google "Singapore Night Safari" I'm sure you will find some photos and more information. Visiting the animals in that setting was a very special experience.
The next day, we boarded the local Hop On, Hop Off for a city tour. We sat on the top deck in the broiling sun until we were well done, then returned to The Amsterdam in time for the sailaway to the next destination.
If we are lucky enough to see Singapore again, we would like to ride the giant Ferris wheel


and we would definitely visit the Night Safari again.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

One-Stop Enhancement For Minds and Wardrobes

Day 69/Nha Trang, Viet Nam
Today we had a close-up look at some rice fields,



visited a kindergarten,


wanted to hug the adorable children.


Spent some time at an embroidery workshop.


The work was lovely and incredibly detailed.

We were happy to have our compact but ugly plastic raincoats with us. We didn't mind looking like we were wearing giant ziplock bags when the skies dumped buckets of rain on us. Cameras and other valuables stayed dry, and the showers didn't last for long.
Shopping opportunities were everywhere. Vendors on motorbikes formed a sort of motorcade with our bus, pursuing us from one stop to the next, in hope of selling men's knit shirts. Watson bought three "genuine" Ralph Lauren shirts for $10. Portable shops had been set up on the pier alongside The Amsterdam. For $15 I became the proud owner of a black silk jacket lined in bright red and trimmed with colored silk medallions. Yes, I will find some occasion for wearing it!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Manila Malfunctions, Hong Kong Fun

Day 67/Hong Kong
The Amsterdam is docked in Kowloon at the Ocean Terminal, adjacent to a huge shopping mall and just steps from the Star Ferry, which runs back and forth to and from Hong Kong Island.


We spent the first day touring on the local Hop On, Hop Off. When we finally got back to our "neighborhood" it was dark outside, time for Hong Kong's famous sound and light show. We stood on the waterfront plaza with hundreds of other spectators, oohing and aahing as we listened to the music and watched the spectacle.


The next day, we visited the Hong Kong Museum. Especially. Interesting were the Andy Warhol exhibit and a display of Chinese art featuring animal pictures. (Lots of dragons!). We had lunch in the Museum's sculpture garden, then took a harbor tour, then hurried to the mall to use their free wi fi.



Watsons drug stores are everywhere in Hong Kong. No relation to the Watson who shares my cabin (and life.)


Good bye, Hong Kong.
Hope to see you again.

Sorry, no pictures from Manila. Watson went on a tour, but I stayed on the ship with my upset stomach. I need to just say no to all the goodies on the buffet.
There was plenty of activity on board, because many of our crew members are from the Philippines, and their families had come to visit them. What a happy occasion!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad